Absence Makes The Heart Go Astray
by Rainey Lennyn
Summary: A few years into their relationship, Dillon and Georgie have drifted apart. Please RR!
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One

The clock on the wall of Kelly's ticked endlessly as the hands spiraled around another hour. Dillon Quartermaine stared at it dolefully, sighing with each passing minute. Trying to ignore the waitresses' inquisitive glances, he slouched lower in his seat, tucking his chin onto his chest, bouncing his foot anxiously. Where the hell was Georgie? They had made plans to meet here on their lunch break and she was at least an hour and a half late. He had tried her cell phone numerous times even though he knew she always turned it off when she studied. And lately that was all she had time for, he grimaced then shook his head at his own selfishness. Georgie Jones was brilliant and ambitious; so much so that she had been accepted to every ivy league school on the east coast. It were these traits that had first attracted him and now a couple years later, he couldn't start to begrudge her for them. At the ding of the bell, he perked, dashing around in his seat. His face immediately fell at the sight of Mac Scorpio who still never looked pleased to see his youngest daughter's boyfriend.

"Dillon," Mac nodded politely, praying Georgie would hurry off to Brown or Harvard or wherever she chose.

"Mac," Dillon returned just as nicely, wishing his girlfriend's father would hurry up and retire, maybe relocate to Florida. "Um, have you happened to see Georgie around by any chance?"

"No, why? Is she missing?" he asked quickly, the timed response of every Port Charles resident.

"No, no, nothing like that. She's just a little late for our lunch date, that's all."

Mac visibly relaxed.

"Oh well, you know her. She's been really caught up in preparing for school lately. Speaking of that," he gave Dillon a hard look. "What are your future plans of late? You know graduation's right around the corner."

"Well, it's not mob apprenticeship if that's what you're worried about," Dillon laughed nervously. "I've, uh, been keeping pretty busy myself these days with the community theater. Me and Emily have been working really hard on producing a quality play. We've been holding auditions for days."

"I see. Well good luck," Mac clapped him on the back without any heart and Dillon sighed as he walked away. He knew that Georgie's father would never see him as anything but trouble; he was just a good for nothing Quartermaine, but the knowledge of it still brought him down. He tried and tried to prove to people that he was an anomaly of the clan, just like Jason and Emily but some never got over first impressions. As he was lost in thoughts, a whirlwind entered the restaurant. Georgie Jones huffed and puffed to the table, laden down with armfuls of books and a shoulder bag carrying a laptop. She immediately burst into a torrent of apologies.

"Oh my gosh, Dillon, I am just so sorry! My study group ran late and I just lost complete track of time! I know this is like the third time this week and-"

"Gee thanks for reminding me," he mumbled, then grabbed her hand, pulling her into the seat next to him. "Listen, babe, don't worry about it. Just sit and have a sandwich with me please."

He cringed at the pleading wide-eyed look she gave him and knew what she was going to say next. She never disappointed.

"Dill, I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me but I really have to pound in one more session. Alex just got this new study booklet straight from Yale chemistry textbooks and I just have to take a crack at it."

"Alex? Alex the nerd who you're always with these days?" Dillon sputtered. "Georgie, you see more of this Alex kid than you do me-your boyfriend! Happen to remember me?"

Georgie's face softened into a smile and she wrapped her arms around him, kissing his shoulder.

"Of course, I remember you. I still love you and think about you all the time. You know that. Hey, how about I make it up to you tonight? We'll have a special dinner and maybe some special dessert…" she trailed off with a wink. "Come on, what do ya say?"

Dillon hesitated but couldn't help but melt at her tempting smile. He grumbled,

"Oh, alright already. Go do your nerdy stuff and…maybe I will take you up on that dessert."

Georgie laughed, squeezing him one last time,

"Ooh I knew you'd understand. Thank you sweetie and remember we're on for tonight."

With that she rushed out the door just like she had came and Dillon muttered,

"It's not me who had the problem remembering."

……

"Dillon? Dillon? Dillon, wake up!"

Dillon jolted back to awareness at the unusual tone of his cousin's voice. Emily Bowen Quartermaine Cassadine looked at him like he had sprouted another head.

"Dillon, what is wrong with you today? You've been drifting ever since your lunch break. I really need your input on these auditions. This is your script by the way."

"Shhh," he hissed. "We promised not to mention that. You know I'm afraid people won't take it seriously if they knew I wrote it."

"I know, I know. My lips are sealed," she smiled brightly. "But you can't keep a brilliant screenplay writer like yourself hidden under wraps for too long."

"Yeah, I know. Even Georgie doesn't know. I want it to be a surprise for anniversary; to let her know that her boyfriend is worth something."

Em ruffled his hair playfully and said,

"Well get your head out of the clouds while I go gather the next batch of girls, okay? The role of Natalie is too important for you to be not paying attention. You have to find the perfect one, the one you see in your head."

Dillon nodded his agreement and sunk lower into his chair. He wished his heads were in the clouds but instead his mind was focused on Georgie and his new nemesis Alex Kingston. He was the son of a professor at PCU with an extraordinarily high IQ and more extracurricular activities on his resume than Martin Scorsese movies. It bothered him immensely how much time Georgie spent with him and how much they had in common. It left him feeling out in the cold more times than one.

When Emily came back into the theater with a group of maybe eight girls following her, he shrugged off his dark thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Sitting beside him Emily whispered,

"Well, this is it. Our Natalie better be one of these ladies. Otherwise we're sunk."

"Okay," Dillon announced loudly, clapping to get their attention. "Girls, take your seats and we'll begin. First up is…"he trailed off to read the clipboard on his lap. " #39, this is your lucky day. You'll be auditioning first."

From the crowd a small tan girl dressed in shocking pink came forward. Setting a pretty face and shaking a mane of golden blond hair, she cleared her throat.

"Well, I'm, uh, Liberty Norton, I mean Liberty Jacks. You can call me Libby though. Well," she grinned. "Only if you give me the part. But hey, I'm ready when you are."

Emily leaned over and whispered in Dillon's ear excitedly.

"I know her! She's the secret daughter that showed up here a couple months ago. Poor Jax didn't know a thing about her; I guess he just had a one night tryst with her mother and well look at her. She's obviously his. I wonder if she's any good."

"We'll find out," he replied. "Okay well, feel free to begin, Libby. Start with page 5 and read the highlighted paragraph."

The girl surveyed him with laughing crystal blue eyes and said teasingly,

"You're awful young to be a director, don't ya think? What are you-a year younger than me?!"

Dillon coughed his indignation, flushing at her audacity. While he stammered a comeback, she bounced downstage and said jovially,

"Hey, don't worry about it, playboy. Okay, here goes nothing."

Like a magic spell that settled on the theater, everyone watched in silence as she performed. She moved with fluid like gestures and spoke in the gently passionate tones "Natalie" was supposed to. Her voice carried to the back wall and she mesmerized them.

"What, Johnny?" she recited, her eyes often leaving the script and resting on our audience. "You think I don't know what you do for a living? You think I don't know that you're a cold hard killer and a dirty, underhanded gangster? Well let me tell you something, Johnny Cavarone, I don't care what you do."

Dillon felt her gaze pin on him and he felt like mob hitman Johnny Cavarone staring at Natalie Rockwell and his breath caught in his chest. It was like he was the only one in the room as she continued,

"Some things are just meant to be and I was meant to sing in your club. I'm not here to judge you, convert you or even save you. I'm just here to love you and I hope you'll let me."

When her voice faded away the hush slowly broke over the theater and the New York accent was gone, a faster, perkier one in it's place. She threw up her hands and called over her shoulder,

"Well that's my best shot. Call me if I get it; ignore me if I don't. I don't deal well with spoken rejection."

Emily grabbed a stunned Dillon's arm and laughed excitedly,

"That was fantastic! Oh my god, Dillon, what do you think?"

Dilllon murmured slowly,

"I think we found our Natalie."

……

Late that night until a little past midnight, Dillon sat on the Scorpio's porch swing, waiting for Georgie once again. Finally when Dillon was about to call it a night, a sleek red sports car screeched up and Georgie piled out of it. She was laughing her goodbyes until she noticed a dark Dillon coming to meet her on the walk. She giggled nervously when he got close enough.

"Wow, you wouldn't believe how tough Yale science is."

"Don't bullshit me, Georgie," he cut her off. "I don't deserve to be tossed aside like this, no matter how important college is. If you can't see that, then maybe we shouldn't try to see each other at all."

Georgie went pale at the angry outburst and the hurt glisten in his eyes.

"Dillon, I'm so incredibly sorry. I know I've been saying that a lot lately but I don't know how else to put it. You're wonderful for being so patient these last few weeks and I'll make it up to you, I promise. It's just school takes up so much of my time these days."

"Hasn't it always?" he demanded, refusing to back down so easily this time. "When have I ever come first? I'm sick of it, Georgie!"

"I know, sweetie," she said quietly, taking his hand and holding it to her heart. "And I swear this won't happen again. I love you too much and I hate to hurt you. Please say you'll forgive me?"

Dillon hated to do it, hated himself for it, but he could never not forgive Georgie. She was his first love, his only love and those just didn't come around that often. Tucking her into the curve of him, he kissed her gently.

"I forgive you and I love you too. Now let's get out of here before Mac gets home."

The next few weeks passed in a crazy blur. Dillon was more and more up to his neck in play preparations and Georgie continued her constant studying. For a change, Dillon now often cancelled their plans, having to spend many week nights and weekend mornings holding practices in pregnant Emily's place. He was immersed in his story of territory wars, unshakable love and not to mention, the frequent usage of weapons, bar fights and sexual innuendos. His life practically became Johnny Cavarone's and he found himself creating a tight knit family among his cast. One morning when he was desperately trying to reach Georgie and the cast was filing in, Libby Jacks flitted into the theater, proving her nickname of "Hummingbird." She was quick as lightning in wit, comebacks, memorization and moods. She made everyone laugh and cry at the same time and still had the energy to coach others. Dillon recognized in her the same love and drive for acting that he had, drawing the two of them into a friendly, jokey relationship.

"Still trying to get a hold of the librarian?" she asked with a yawn, sitting on the floor in a strange lotus position. Dillon nodded and asked in confusion,

"What exactly are you doing, Libby? Besides being extremely weird, that is."

She gave him a 'I can't believe you don't know' look.

"I am aligning my harmony for the day if you must know. Duh. You should try it."

"No thanks," he chuckled. "I think my harmony's fine and I enjoy having circulation in my legs. And please don't call Georgie a librarian."

"Sure, no problem," she shrugged, rolling her eyes. "I'll lay off your lame girlfriend if you'll help your leading actress out."

"With what?" he sighed and she grinned sheepishly.

"I can't get up. There's kind of no feeling in my legs."

"I won't say I told you so," he chuckled, reaching a hand down to offer aid. "Okay, I will. I told you so, weirdo."

With an attacking growl Libby jerked on his arm fiercely, surprising him and causing him to topple off his chair, landing in a painful heap beside her and taking his coffee with him. The other cast members burst into laughter and Dillon rolled onto his side to look at her grumpily. 

"You are such a pain in the ass," he snapped mock-angrily. As he began to tickle her on the floor in a puddle of lukewarm coffee, he heard a confused, hurt voice that quickly changed to anger.

"Dillon?! What are you doing?"

Dillon stopped and stared at Georgie, holding a bakery bag and wearing a frozen smile. As he started to explain, she fled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

One week later Georgie barely would speak to Dillon; all their dates were held in the stiff tension that distrust causes. They struggled through dinners and movies where Dillon tried his hardest to make up for her misconception about Libby. He brought flowers, serenaded to the best of his ability; he even brought lunch to one of her study sessions for everyone there-even Alex. Nothing seemed to work though. She never warmed up to him and never mentioned that she believed him. His play practices were now viewed with the same angry suspicion that he had once had about her studying. At one of these practices dangerously close to show-time and the night of the first dress rehearsal, he sat slumped in the front row of the theater, buried in tickets, costume bills and his worry about Georgie. From up above him down-stage, a voice came brightly.

"Hey Dairy Queen, what do you look so down about?"

Dillon frowned and cocked an eyebrow at his lead actress.

"Excuse me? Did you just call me Dairy Queen?"

Libby Jacks hopped down from stage to front row, a dizzy height that didn't seem to make her blink. She replied simply,

"Dillon Quartermaine…DQ…Dairy Queen, got it? I thought it was clever to be named after a fast food joint."

Dillon tried his best not to grin at the silly comment and muttered, covering his mouth with his hand,

"Actually it's Dillon Hornsby but-

"Dillon Hornsby!" she screeched, loud enough for everyone in New York to hear. "Well, DQ, no wonder you use Quartermaine. Hornsby's not something I'd wanna go by. Before all this mess, I just hated Norton. The kids at school used to call me Snortin' Norton. It was horrible; they'd make fun of me constantly. Call me piggy, say I lived in a sty, that kind of kid stuff."

Dillon looked at her amazement. In his entire life, he hadn't quite been treated with respect but he had never been treated like that. His peers had always liked him even the snotty European kids he had had to grow up with. Libby shrugged like a duck shaking water off its back.

"Oh well," she said. "Look at me now. My name's Jacks and I've got an inheritance of millions. It's funny how what we think is right and what's just a part of life can suddenly change and turn out to be just a waiting room for something bigger. Kind of like waiting in those wings over there before you finally step into the spotlight. Life's great, isn't it? What a movie."

Flushing a little after her passionate speech, she shook her head which was done into the curls her character wore.

"God, listen to me. What a preacher-just because I hit a little luck in life."

"No, no you're right," Dillon quickly interrupted. "That was-wow, exactly what I feel! I keep hoping for that life's really like that."

Libby stared at him with those clear blue eyes like she was staring right into and what she said put shivers down his back.

"Maybe it's time you step into the spotlight, Dillon. Leave waiting rooms behind-there's so much more out there."

A tense silence fell between them and they just looked at each other, each wondering what the other was thinking. Emily's chipper voice broke the moment as she half-walked, half-waddled down to them.

"Hey you guys, what's all the chit-chat? Libby, get in your costume right now! We start rehearsal in fifteen minutes1"

Libby rolled her eyes playfully and patted Em's belly as she passed.

"Don't worry, Mommy-you're talking to a pro."

Emily watched her leave with an a affectionate smile, then turned to Dillon a very obvious surveying look upon her face. Lowering herself in the seat next to him she patted his knee.

"Dillon, I'm not trying to be an overprotective cousin or anything but I think I know what going on. You and Georgie have been having problems, right?"

"No, no," he denied. "Me and Georgie are fine. We're just both really busy, that's all. I don't what you've heard."

"I haven't heard anything-don't worry. Lamaze classes and baby department stores aren't exactly the rumor mill though. I've just seen the way you and Libby click sometimes. I mean, you do have a lot in common."

"Well, a little," he said quickly. "But its just because we both love films, that's all. She's a smart ass and weird and is cocky way too often with me."

"Hmm, just like someone else I know," Emily muttered softly to herself. "Well okay then, Dillon. I just wanted to let you know that the greatest advice I ever got from a very unlikely source told me to just follow your heart and don't be afraid to let go of the past."

"Oh, don't worry," he exclaimed loudly and uncomfortably. "My heart has no involvement in this at all but hey, I'm really swamped so I'll head to the office and uh, call people…um, our ticket takers and stuff. So I'll see you in fifteen."

With that he hurried away at a quick pace, practically running away from his cousin, leaving her shaking her head in disbelief.

……

Sitting on top of his cluttered desk, Dillon snatched up the phone and dialed the number memorized on his heart. His heart leapt when for once Georgie picked up.

"George, hi! You picked up! Wow! So hi, how's the brain-stuffing going?"

"Great." He barely recognized the cold voice on the other end. "Listen, is this important? Me and _Alex_ are trying to memorize logarithms. Can this wait?"

"Hey, logarithms," he laughed weakly. "Sounds like tons of fun. Um, sure, I just wanted to hear your voice today. Maybe we could get together tonight."

"We'll see. Goodbye, Dillon."

"Right. I love you," he put in quickly but the dial tone was his only answer. Swearing forcefully, he threw the phone off the desk, plunging his head in his hands. Why did Georgie suddenly hate him? What had happened to the love he thought they had? A knock on his glass-paned door made him draw up straight and force a civil query.

"Yeah, what is it?!"

Tentatively Libby poked her head in, viewed his grumpy expression and stepped carefully in.

"Um, Emily asked me to come get you. She wants to start rehearsal a little early so she can make her doctor's appointment and still see the whole practice." 

Dillon let loose a long breath and jumped off the desk, trying to look normal. He ran his hands through his newly short hair and then noticed his actress was only half in costume. She still wore boots and her flapper's dress was half on, blue jeans on underneath.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed. "You're not ready yet!"

"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock Quartermaine," she looked disgusted. "Emily sent me anyway. Don't ask me why."

Dillon groaned,

"The hormones must be going to her head. Here let me zip you up."

Turning her back to him, Libby snorted,

"And what would you know about pregnant hormones anyway?"

Dillon chuckled,

"Is that unladylike sound why everyone called you Snortin' Norton?" 

She balled her fists for a playful sock when she felt his warm fingertips on her cold back as he grasped the tiny teardrop-shaped zipper. All the way up her spine, his hands brushed her skin unintentionally. When it stopped at the nape of her neck, she turned with bated breath and looked up at him. Inside her stumbling head she tried to stir up a quick remark. Dillon didn't even realize what he was doing until his head was completely lowered and his lips were touching hers. It suddenly felt very unreal. Her lips were small and warm and were sticky with gloss. When her mouth clasped onto his fully, a shock went through of them until Libby's hands lay on the back of his neck and he held her by the waist. Gently they kissed and very slowly with the same gentleness, they drew apart. Dillon's eyes suddenly went wide with horror at what he had done.

"Libby, I-I-I didn't mean-"

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's just nerves, that's all. Just dress rehearsal nerves," she shrugged nonchalantly, monitoring him closely. When his face was washed in relief, she didn't show the pain she felt. Without another word, she walked out of his office, taking a part of him with her. Guiltily Dillon stared at the picture of Georgie on the wall.

……

Dillon sat in his car in the Scorpio's driveway, waiting for Georgie to return home. When she was dropped off and she noticed him sitting there, she frowned in confusion and bent down to his rolled down window.

"Dillon, did we make plans?"

"No, no we didn't. I just need to talk to you and since you avoid me on the phone, I had to see you face to face. Get in please."

Looking worried she opened up his passenger door and sat beside him a safe distance away. Dillon gazed right into her eyes with burning surveillance.

"Georgie, do you love me?"

"Dillon! Of course I do! How can you ask that?"

"Because I don't think you do anymore," he said flatly. His statement hung like deadweight in the air. He continued, "Am I what you want anymore, Georgie? Because lately it seems like I have nothing to offer you."

"It's just college is coming and-"she stuttered.

"Exactly. College? What am I supposed to do while you run off to Massachusetts or something? I don't think you need me anymore. You've outgrown what we had together and I'm not mad at you for that. In fact, I applaud you. You've never let me get in the way of your dreams."

"Dillon, I'm sorry." Tears shone in her eyes and Dillon took her hand.

"Don't apologize, baby. Just go off to college with no regrets and leave us with some good memories. I need something different these days too." 

But inwardly he was thinking that he needed _someone._


End file.
